Getting Ready for Spring

Now that I have my seeds in hand it is time to start some of them and I am looking forward to this process.
Yesterday I took a walk around the yard to look at the trees and shrubs on my property. Now is the perfect time to look at your woody plants to decide on shape and other pruning methods you wish to employ later. Most woody plants were put in last year by me, but some were here when I bought the property. You have to excuse my prejudices against the use of some trees and shrubs. One prejudice of mine is the Colorado Blue Spruce and I have one.

As far as I am concerned this is one the most over used conifers in the landscape industry. The one planted on my property was planted 25 years ago, I know this because the fellow who planted it told me. He planted it for the woman who lived here at the time and he planted it directly under the hydro line that feeds into my house (don't plant under hydro or electrical lines please). Now this Colorado Blue is 20' tall and getting ready to grow into the line. Last fall I had my son take off 6' off the top of the tree. Now it has a flattened egg shape to it. I plan on taking it out and replacing it with something else, but in the mean time I will continue to prune it. Why? I am keeping it for the birds, they do like the shelter and also whatever I plant to replace it will take a few years to take hold, so I will keep it probably for another 5 to 7 years until what I have decided to replace it with has established itself.
The old fashioned Bridal Wreath Spirea will be cut down to the ground as this has not been done in quite a while, it needs rejuvenation. That's easy, just cut every branch to 4".
My little leaf privet hedge was over 12' tall when I bought the property. It was so tall that it was flopping over much to my neighbours dismay. I cut it down to about a foot last spring and it has come back nicely. I cut it several time after that, stopping about mid July. It will really start to take shape this year and I start to put in some waves to it's top. There is one privet that was planted all alone on the south side that also was 12' tall and flopping. This gave me an idea, if I fanned out the branches and clipped it to resemble a fan it would make a great visual barrier to what happens in my back yard. I started this process last summer and it is taking shape nicely. I am looking forward to this when it should be in proper proportions.
The yellow twig dogwood I will let grow this year as it was just planted. After this year I will be able to cut new branches in the fall for decoration. I also put in blue berries last year, the only thing I will do with them is to stop berry production as I want the roots to get established.
Everything else I will check over, remove dead wood, crossing branches and the unnecessary. I learned many years ago from a friend to never go out to your yard without your secateurs.